The air grew sharper as Arian walked north, following the whispering voice echoing in his mind. Snow thickened with each step, and the gray sky seemed to have forgotten how to give light. Yet Necral in his hand guided his way, and Arian's feet traced a path that felt destined long ago.
Through the frozen mist, a figure appeared.
A demon girl stood atop a crumbled stone wall. Her long hair was as white as snow, her red eyes glowing in the dark, and two small curved horns sat atop her head. She wore a long black cloak trimmed with frost-blue edges, fluttering in the soft blizzard.
> "At last… you truly exist," she said softly.
Arian stared sharply. "Who are you?"
The girl leapt down, landing soundlessly on the snow.
> "My name is Velmira. I am the last descendant of those who worshipped the Ice Demon King.
My blood carries the trace of an ancient oath the world has long forgotten."
Necral pulsed gently in Arian's grip.
> "I recognize her lineage. She is a witness—the daughter of my final servant."
Arian looked at the girl, then nodded. "You know where I'm meant to go?"
> "Follow me. To the north lies an old castle—once our sacred temple, before the world burned our name from history."
---
Frozen Light Castle – The North
The castle looked like the skeleton of a giant buried in snow.
Its tall towers were wrapped in ice, its windows cracked and filled with the shadows of history.
At the gate stood a massive ice statue of a winged figure—perhaps a depiction of Necral in his former form.
Inside the castle, only the sound of wind and snow filtered through the cracks.
But from the upper balcony, Arian saw something that made him fall silent.
A small village, nestled at the foot of the hill.
Broken houses, roofs full of holes, walls of rough stone and old wood.
Low-class demons lived there—gray-skinned, cloaked in torn burlap, walking slowly through snow-covered paths.
Their children were thin, barefoot, and hollow-eyed.
Faces dulled by hopelessness.
Arian clenched his fist.
> "Is this… what they've been reduced to?"
Velmira lowered her gaze.
"We were driven from the other demon lands. The current Demon Kings no longer recognize us. The strong live… the weak are cast aside."
Arian looked at his hand.
"You said I'm the heir to the Ice Demon King's power…"
> "You are more than that. You decide whether our people rise again… or vanish forever from history."
Arian stood in silence.
The snow kept falling.
Then he spoke, slowly.
> "Then I'll rebuild this race.
But not just as an army. We'll build a civilization."
---
The Beginning of Revival – Building from Nothing
In the frozen throne room, Arian sat upon a long-abandoned royal chair.
Around him stood Velmira and the remaining demons, listening intently.
Step One: Mapping the Territory
Arian ordered Velmira to assist in sending out scouts: to search for food sources, hot springs, stone quarries, and strategic locations.
Step Two: Reorganizing the Village
They began by repairing homes and digging warming canals using ice magic guided by Necral—channeling heat from beneath the castle into the village.
Step Three: A New Code
Arian established basic laws: protect the weak, abolish castes, and provide a place for all outcast demons.
Step Four: Education and Training
He asked Velmira to train the children in basic magic, self-defense, and reading ancient texts.
They would become the first generation of a new civilization.
Step Five: Symbol of Rebirth
Arian created a new emblem: a Cracked Ice over a Black Sun—
A symbol that the old world must fall, and a new world would be born from its ruins.
---
That night, Velmira looked at Arian as darkness fell.
> "Are you truly certain you can build all of this… from ashes?"
Arian gazed up at the snow-covered sky.
> "If this world never gave me a place…
Then I'll build one that no one can ever take away."